The Minotaur Maze

by Xavier Bonet

  Table of Contents

  COVER

  TITLE PAGE

  MIDNIGHT LIBRARY

  CHAPTER ONE: RUNNING LATE

  CHAPTER TWO: PRINCESS PROTECTOR

  CHAPTER THREE: STONE COLD

  CHAPTER FOUR: JUST A MINOTAUR

  CHAPTER FIVE: PAY THE PYTHON

  CHAPTER SIX: TRAPPED!

  CHAPTER SEVEN: NOT A GOOD LOOK

  CHAPTER EIGHT: APOLLO, GEE

  EPILOGUE

  INSIDE THE MIDNIGHT MIND OF . . .

  GLOSSARY

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  WRITING PROMPTS

  MICHEAL DAHL

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  COPYRIGHT

  BACK COVER

  Midnight Library

  The MIDNIGHT LIBRARY was named after T. Middleton Nightingale, or “Mid Night.” More than 100 years ago, Nightingale built the library but then vanished. The giant clock in the library went silent. Its hands froze at twelve. Since that day, no one has heard the clock chime again. Except for the librarian Javier and his team of young Pages. Whenever they hear it strike twelve, the library transforms. The world inside a book becomes real—along with its dangers. Whether it’s mysteries to be solved or threats to be defeated, it’s up to the librarian and his Pages to return the Midnight Library to normal.

  THE LIBRARIAN

  JAVIER O’LEARY

  – Javier is supervisor of the library’s Page program.

  THE PAGES

  BARU REDDY

  – He reads a lot of horror books. And his memory is awesome.

  JORDAN YOUNG

  – Her parents have banned video games for the summer. She hopes working at the library might get her access to gaming on the library computers.

  KELLY GENDELMAN

  – She figures helping at the library will be fun. Maybe the other Pages will appreciate her love of bad puns.

  CAL PETERSON

  – His parents think the library is a good place to expose him to more books. They never expected him to go inside a book!

  CHAPTER ONE

  Running Late

  Kelly Gendelman ran down the busy sidewalk. She was carrying a large box from 5th Street Sweets. The line had been ridiculous. Now she was over an hour late for her Saturday shift at the T. Middleton Nightingale City Library.

  As she approached 13th Avenue, the light changed. She’d have to wait for the next walk signal.

  An older woman with a large purse smiled kindly at her. She eyed the fancy light blue box Kelly was holding. “What’s the hurry, dear?” the woman asked.

  “I’m late for my . . . job,” Kelly said. She kept her eyes on the crosswalk signal. “It’s my boss’s birthday. I offered to pick up treats.”

  Weird to say I have a job and a boss, Kelly thought. Especially since I’m in middle school.

  She was a volunteer Page at the library, which meant she didn’t get paid. And Javier, the librarian who ran the program, hardly acted like a boss.

  “Take your time,” the woman said. “Those goodies will taste just as good no matter when you get there.”

  “Thanks,” Kelly said. She exhaled, trying to relax. “And you’re right.”

  Even so, as soon as she saw the WALK signal, Kelly took off across 13th.

  To tell the truth, she wasn’t worried about getting in trouble with Javier. She just wanted to get to the library before everything changed.

  T. Middleton Nightingale Library, or the “Midnight Library” as they liked to call it, had a strange secret. Every Saturday at noon it went through a change. Somehow the library shifted into a world resembling a place from one of the library’s hundreds of thousands of books. Javier said it was like being “inside the mind of an author.” Javier and the Pages, however, were the only ones who experienced the change.

  Kelly glanced at the time on the First Bank and Trust sign. 11:56! she thought. I was supposed to be there over an hour ago!

  She ran around a pair of strollers clogging up the sidewalk. She bumped into a guy carrying a briefcase who was talking on his phone. With another glance over her shoulder, she saw that another minute had ticked by.

  “Three minutes!” she whispered. She caught a few strange looks from people nearby. She could see the big steps and ornate statues ahead.

  Kelly ran. She could feel the treats inside the box shift around. She weaved through more foot traffic, apologizing as she went. At long last she reached the big stone staircase. Kelly dashed up the stairs and flung open the heavy front door. She had barely a minute to spare. Rolene, the information desk librarian, looked up from a small book.

  “Oh my, Ms. Gendelman,” Rolene said quickly. “We were all pretty sure you wouldn’t be joining us today.”

  “The line at the bakery was ridiculous,” Kelly replied. She struggled to catch her breath. “Donut they know I have somewhere to be?”

  Rolene raised her eyebrows a bit.

  Kelly glanced around the enormous library. “Where is everyone?”

  “I believe they’re out on the floor, shelf reading or shelving,” Rolene said.

  “Thanks,” Kelly said. Then she dashed into the library’s huge common area.

  In the middle of the library stood the enormous, ancient clock. The hands were forever stuck at midnight . . . or noon. No one was quite sure.

  Of course they didn’t wait for me, Kelly thought. I’m almost an hour and a half . . .

  Just then, she heard the gong of a distant clock.

  “Late,” she said aloud, finishing her thought.

  Here we go, Kelly thought. She set the box of birthday treats down on an empty table.Kelly frantically looked through the shelves, hoping to spot at least one of the other Pages.

  Where were Baru, Jordan, and Cal? Where was Javier?

  The clock gonged eleven more times.

  . . . And everything around her changed.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Princess Protector

  The tables in the library turned into stone slabs. They dropped to the ground with a thundering boom. The bookshelves shifted and moved. They quickly reshaped into walls and corridors. The once-high ceiling dropped lower, making the space feel cramped.

  Kelly shrieked when lit torches erupted from the wall sconces. The flames lit the dim passageways with flickering orange light. Nothing around Kelly looked familiar. All she could see ahead of her was a passageway that led into darkness. There was a sour smell, like a wet, filthy animal. She plugged her nose briefly, hoping the stink would go away. It didn’t.

  More than ever, she wished her fellow Pages were there.

  “Where am I?” Kelly whispered. She touched a stone wall.

  “This is the Labyrinth,” came a voice from behind her. “Did King Aegeus not tell you of your fate?”

  A girl stepped out from the shadows. She looked about eighteen. The girl had long,reddish hair that fell to her shoulders. Unlike the T-shirt and jeans Kelly wore, the girl was in a fancy, white dress. She didn’t look like any of the library visitors. It didn’t take Kelly long to realize who it was.

  “You’re Ariadne,” Kelly whispered. “Daughter of King Minos, ruler of Crete.”

  “And you’re one of the fourteen sacrifices, are you not?” Ariadne replied. She seemed a little surprised as she looked Kelly up and down. “You don’t dress like others from Athens.”

  “I’m from Queens,” Kelly said.

  “Ah. So you’re a princess as well,” Ariadne said. “Are you the daughter of Medea?”

  “No, I’m the daughter of Deborah,” Kelly said. “I did a history project on Ancient Greece, but I don’t remember who Medea is.”

  Ariadne looked confused.

  “OK,” Kelly said
. “Sorry. Long story short? I’m not from Athens. And I wasn’t sent here by King Aegeus.”

  “Then you must help me, stranger,” Ariadne said.

  “It’s Kelly,” Kelly said. She pointed to herself. “That’s my name.”

  “Yes, Kelly of Queens,” Ariadne said quickly. Kelly’s name seemed to be the least of her worries. “I fear we’re running out of time. I need to find Theseus and lead him out of here.”

  “I remember that name,” Kelly said. “That’s the guy you like! He was one of the fourteen that your father had run through the maze as a sacrifice to—”

  From somewhere far into the Labyrinth, a deep, loud growl vibrated the stone walls.

  “—the Minotaur,” Kelly finished in a whisper. “Big, ugly, half-bull, half-human creature. Right?”

  Ariadne nodded. “You know of the hunter! I am impressed.”

  “My project kind of rocked,” Kelly said.

  Ariadne crouched down. She seemed to be feeling the ground for something. The hem of her white dress dipped into a dirty puddle.

  “What are you looking for?” Kelly asked, moving closer to Ariadne.

  “Theseus,” the princess replied. “I left a thread for him to follow so he could find his way out.”

  There was another growl nearby. Then came a loud snort.

  “It sounds like the Minotaur’s getting closer,” Kelly said. Then she remembered something. “Does he still carry that axe?”

  “Oh yes,” Ariadne said. She suddenly gasped in excitement.

  “What?” Kelly asked, nervously eyeing the dim hallway. “What is it?”

  “The thread,” Ariadne said. “I’ve found it!

  The princess stood up. She shouted down one of the hallways. “Hold tight, my beloved! I’ll find you!” Then she took off.

  Kelly stood frozen in place. She couldn’t decide what was a better idea. Should she follow Ariadne deeper into the Labyrinth? Or should she try to find her friends on her own?

  The princess was following the thread down a passageway. A moment later she heard the heavy clomps of hooves on stone.

  The Minotaur!

  “Wait up! I’m coming with you!” Kelly shouted.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Stone Cold

  Kelly and Ariadne dashed down the dim hallway. The princess followed the thread through the corridors. Each time Kelly passed a torch, she ducked. She didn’t want to set her hair on fire. They turned left down two passageways and went down a small set of steps. Then they passed three other openings and turned right into another dark chamber.

  “I am so lost,” Kelly whispered as they came to a stop. She couldn’t tell which way they’d come. If she had to get back to where they’d started, she’d never get there.

  “As we all are,” Ariadne replied. She held up the thread.

  Kelly squinted. The thread was severed. “So what happened?” she asked.

  “Something must’ve happened to Theseus,” Ariadne whispered. “I gave him a sword to fight off the foul beast. I had hoped he could defeat the Minotaur. Then he could follow this thread and find his way out.”

  Kelly felt panic rise in her chest. They were trapped in a dark maze with the Minotaur—and who knew what else. She took a step. Something clattered in the dark along the floor. She bent down to see what it was. Her hand touched something metallic. She ran her hand along the object and found a handle. With a grunt, she lifted it up.

  “Was this the sword?” Kelly asked. The torchlight made the steel glint.

  “By the gods,” Ariadne said. “Yes. That’s the very weapon I entrusted to Theseus!”

  A heavy silence fell between them. This is not good, thought Kelly.

  Ariadne took the sword from Kelly. She inspected the blade in the dim light.

  Kelly listened carefully. She could hear hooves clomping heavily along the stone passageways.

  “This sword saw no battle,” Ariadne whispered. “The edges are as sharp as ever.”

  “So maybe he dropped it,” Kelly said. “Whatever happened, we need to get out of here.”

  Kelly moved to the wall and picked up the flaming torch. Then she walked toward the middle of the room, lighting the way.

  As she did, she saw several faces staring back at her.

  “Whoa!” Kelly gasped, almost dropping the torch. “Um . . . come here for a second!”

  The princess turned her attention away from the sword and joined Kelly.

  Kelly held the torch out in front of them. There were several gray stone statues of men. Their eyes and mouths were open wide as if caught in mid-scream. All of them looked incredibly lifelike.

  And Kelly recognized one of them. “Javier,” she gasped. Her heart sank. “Oh no.” She reached out and touched the statue’s arm. Javier looked out of place. The other statues were dressed like ancient Greek warriors. One of them wore a helmet with what looked like the bristles of a hairbrush across the top. Another wore a small crown of leaves on his head. He held a shield across his chest. Javier, however, was wearing his usual dress pants and button-down shirt.

  Ariadne put her fingers on the cheek of the helmeted statue.

  “Is that . . . ?” Kelly began.

  “Theseus,” Ariadne whispered.

  Kelly put her hand on the princess’s shoulder.

  “No sculptor could carve statues so lifelike as these,” Ariadne said. “They have been turned to stone.” A single tear streaked down her face.

  So that’s it, Kelly thought. That’s the end of Javier and these Greek guys.

  Suddenly, before either of them had time to grieve, a snorting beast burst through the doorway.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Just a Minotaur

  Ariadne’s sadness was quickly replaced with rage. “Minotaur!” she shouted.

  The beast was enormous. He had the head of a snarling, angry bull. He looked like a giant of a man. The Minotaur had bulging muscles and large, powerful hands. His long, twisted horns nearly scraped the stone ceiling. He growled and snorted as he tightened his grip on the gigantic axe.

  With a roar, Minotaur raised the mighty weapon above his head. Kelly had a horrifying thought. He’s going to smash the statues!

  Without thinking, Kelly swung the torch, catching the Minotaur in the armpit.

  The monster bellowed in pain. A moment later, the smell of cooked meat hit Kelly’s nose. The Minotaur lowered the axe. He swatted at the burn with his free hand.

  Ariadne stepped forward, sword in hand.

  “I’ve never fought a beast like this!” she shouted.

  “Then let’s get out of here!” Kelly cried.

  The Minotaur howled. Kelly and Ariadne ran across the room and into another dark passageway. They reached an intersection with three corridors to choose from.

  “Which way?” Kelly shouted.

  Without a word, Ariadne grabbed Kelly by the arm. She led her down the passage on the left. A thunderous roar echoed through the halls.

  “I think he’s upset with us,” Kelly said. They barreled down another hallway. Bones from shattered skeletons lay on either side of them. A skull with empty eye sockets seemed to watch them as they ran by.

  Kelly noticed that it was really dark. There weren’t any torches other than the one she held. The Minotaur only had to follow their light to find them.

  Ariadne slowed down at another intersection. “Another choice to make,” she said. “Left or right.”

  Kelly walked over to the right. A few feet ahead was a small doorway. Crumbled columns on either side held up the low ceiling. She stepped through to find a small square-shaped room. More bones and tattered rags were scattered along the floor. Kelly guessed they were the clothes of the Minotaur’s victims.

  “Dead end,” Kelly whispered. “In more ways than one.”

  “The other passage continues deeper into the Labyrinth,” Ariadne said. “A foul wind blows from there.”

  I don’t think we have much choice, Kelly thought. We have yet to see an exit
!

  Loud, angry snorts approached. It was just as Kelly had feared. The Minotaur had seen their light. He knew exactly where they were.

  “We have to get rid of our torch so the Minotaur can’t track us,” Kelly whispered. “But I have a plan.”

  Kelly took a deep breath and threw the torch into the mess of bones and cloth. She and Ariadne backed into a passageway, but Kelly held Ariadne’s arm to keep her from running away. They watched as the pile caught fire.

  Ariadne turned to her. “We must flee, Kelly from Queens,” she said urgently.

  “Not yet,” Kelly said. “First we need to stop this bull-headed beast.”

  Kelly didn’t dare breathe. The monster approached. He turned to follow the light into the small room filled with bones and fire.

  “OK,” Kelly said. “Now!”

  She raced toward the columns outside of the room. Ariadne followed close behind.“Smash these things!” Kelly cried. “With everything you’ve got!”

  They kicked at the crumbling columns, loosening chunks of rock. The ceiling above them rumbled a bit.

  The Minotaur turned around and roared again.

  “He sees us, Queens Kelly!” Ariadne shouted.

  “Good,” Kelly shouted back. “Let’s see if he’s as pea-brained as he looks!”

  The Minotaur wound his axe back behind his head. With both hands, he swung at thegirls. Kelly jumped back at the last second. The heavy blade hit the old column. The stones crumbled and fell—and with them fell the stone ceiling they supported.

  Kelly and Ariadne staggered back. The entire doorway was buried in rubble. The Minotaur was trapped inside the room.

  “That should column him down,” Kelly joked.

  Ariadne didn’t laugh.

  “Whatever,” Kelly said. “Let’s keep moving.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Pay the Python

  Kelly and Ariadne moved through a series of dark corridors. Finally they found a long hallway lit brightly along both sides with torches.